Cervical neck brace



April 13, 1965 w. l.. BARTELS CERVICAL NECK BRACE Filed NOV. 3, 1961 rv L; 1:: cw m/bm u mm w umnnmm William L.Ba r'els IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent() 3,177,859 CERWCAL NECK BRACE William L. Bartels, 7375 SW. Northvale Way, Portland, Greg. Filed Nov. 3, 1961, Ser. No. 149,994

3 Claims. (Cl. 12S-75) This invention relates to a cervical neck brace which may be adjusted'to maintain the head of a wearer in a `desired xed position.

In the case of certain neck injuries it is important that the head 'of the patient be securely held in a particular position. While it is possible by means of a custom-made brace to iit an individual wearers requirements, such a brace is relatively expensive and does not lend itself to being easily changed in case it is wished to vary the position of the head. It is therefore desirable that a neck braceV be of standard construction which can be readily adjusted to lit people of different sizes and also permit changing the position in which the wearers head is held.

Adjustable neck braces which have been heretofore known have not been completely satisfactory because none of them has combined the necessary degree of adjustability with simplicity and reliability of operation.

Accordino to the present invention a simple, easily adjusted neck brace is provided which can be quickly placed on any wearer and securely xed to hold the neck of the wearer in a desired position.

According to the invention the brace comprises two body-engaging members and two head-engaging members with adjustable posts extending between the bodyand head-engaging members.

Accordin7 to a feature of the invention, the adjustable posts' are fastened to the bodyand head-engaging members in a novel manner.

These and other features of the invention will be more fully explained with reference to the drawings in which- FIG. l is a side Viewv of the brace according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial back View of the brace; and

FIG. 3 is a side View of one of the adjustable posts extending between bodyand head-engaging members.

Referring now to the drawings, the brace according to the invention comprises body-engaging structure in the form of two body-engaging members, specifically chest plate 1t) and back plate 11, also referred to herein as chest and back plate elements, which have suitable padding material 12 on one side thereof. In between plates 1Q and 11, and part of the body-engaging structure, are a pair (only one of which is shown) of padded and adjustable shoulder-engaging straps 13, which extend and are adapted to pass over the tops of the opposite shoulders of one wearing the brace.

The brace further includes head-engaging structure inl the form of two head-engaging members, more specifically, chin member 15 and occipital member 16, which are joined by a pair (only one of which is shown) of adjustable straps 17. The chin and occipital members are formed in the usual fashion so as to correspond to the portions of the head they engage and suitable padding means 18 are also provided for these members.

Two pairs of vertically adjustable, i.e., extensible and contractible posts generally indicated at 19, 20, 21, 22, extend between the headand body-engaging members. Posts 19, 29 extend between chest plate 1@ and chin member 15. Posts 21, 22 extend between back plate 12 and occipital members 16.

The construction of each of the our adjustable posts and the manner in which it is fastened to the bodyand head-engaging members is the same and therefore for the purposes of this'description the construction of only one of these posts will be explained in detail.

Referring to FIG. 3, post 21 comprises a lower post section in the form of a hollow tube 23, the upper end of which is open. Bottom end 24 of the post section isy arcuately shaped and has a central slot 25. Embossing or other nonslip surface 26 -is provided on both faces of end 24. A supporting bracket 27, fastened to back plate 11'by rivets 28, has an arcuately shaped free surface adapted to receive post end 2,4. The free surface .of bracket 27 is also embossed to prevent slippage and shaped to correspond to'end 24- of the post. vA clamping member 22 hasa llat outer portion and an arcuately shaped inner face 30 which is embossed and shaped similarly to post end 24.. A screw 31 extends through a central hole in member 29, slot 25Vand 'screws into a threaded hole provided in bracket'27 to fasten post end -24 to back plate 11.

The other end of post 21 is adjustably fastened to support bracket 32 which is held to occipital member 15 by rivets 33. A circularly shaped ear 34 extends from bracket 32 and has a nonslip exposed surface 34a. The other end of post 21 comprises a solid upper post secltion 35 most of whose vsurface is screw threaded as at 36 and has end 37 which is circularly shaped to fit ear 3d. The inside surface of end 37'has a nonslip surface to engage surface4 34a of ear 34. Ear 34 has a-central aperture which is screw threaded and into which a screw 3S lextends through-a hole in end 37. The other end 39 of post section 35 fits into the open end oflower post section 23. A pair of nuts 4@ are provided on screw threads 35 and engage the'top 41 of post section 23 to determine the depth of entry or vertical positioning of the solidjupper post section in the hollow lower post section. As shown in FIG. 2, the supporting brackets 2,7, 3 2 are mounted in spaced-apart relationship on the bodyand head-engaging members so that the posts extending therebetween will be aligned and provide support to both sides of a wearers head. i

From the foregoing it will be seen that according to the present invention a very simple neck brace has been provided which can be adjusted to fit a user with no other tools than a screw driver or aV ten-cent piece. In order to adjust the anterior, posterior positioning of a wearers head, a screw driver is used to loosen'screws 31, 38 and when the correct tilt has been reached the screws are tightened. Nutsdll are manipulated and the adjustable straps set depending onV the size` of the wearer. A positive lockingrengagement is thereby provided between the members which will not slip and when it is desired to remove or change the position of the brace, that can be readily accomplished.

While I have disclosed one particular embodiment of my invention, it will Vbe appreciated that it is merely illustrative and the advantage of the invention may be achieved by variations thereof, and it is intended to cover all such variations and limit the construction only as defined in the appended claims.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent: 1. A cervical neck brace comprising body-engaging structure including interconnected chest and back plate elements adapted to be mounted on on the chest and back of a person and each having outwardly facing nonbody-engaging sides,

head-engaging structure above the body-engaging structure including an occipital member and a chin member adapted to engage the back of the head and the chin of a person and each having outwardly facing nonbody-engaging sides,

at least one post extending between and connected at bottom and top ends to thechest plate element and -Patented Apr. 13, 1955 chin member, respectively, and at least one post extending between and connected at top yand bottom ends to the back plate element and occipital member, respectively,

the connection between an element and the bottom end membertting within Yandhaving Van arcuate surface t corresponding to the curvature in the arcuate surface of the other side of said arcuately shaped post portion, and adjustable means Vsecuring the clamping member, arcuately shaped post portion and-bracket together,

' the connectionY between a member and the top end of each post comprising another bracket on the nonbodyengaging side of and joined to the member including an outwardly projecting ear, an upper portion joined to the post corresponding in size and shape to the projecting ear, and means adjustably securing the upper portion joined to the post and said ear.

2. A cervical neck brace comprising body-engaging structure including interconnected chest and back plate elements adapted to be mounted on the chest and back of Aa person and each having outwardly facing nonbody-engaging sides,

Vhead-engaging structure above the body-engaging structure including an occipital member and a chin member adapted to engage the back of theihead and the chin of a person and each having outwardly facing nonbody-engaging sides,

at least one post extending between and connected at bottom and top ends to the chest plate element and chin member, respectively, at least one post extending between and connected at top and bottom ends to the back plate element and occipital member, respectively,

the connection between an element and the bottom end of each post comprising a bracket on the nonbodyengaging side of and joined to the element, said bracket having a nonslip arcuately shaped surface facing outwardly from the element, an arcuately shaped post portion joined to the bottom end of the post having nonslip, arcuate surfaces on opposite sides thereof with the nonslip arcuate surface on one side thereof tting within and corresponding in curvature to the nonslip, arcuately shaped surface of said bracket, a clamping member tting within and having la nonslip, arcuately shaped surface corresponding in curvature to the nonslip, arcuate surface on the other side of said arcuately shaped post portion, and screw means extending through and adjustably securing the clamping member, arcuately shaped post portion and bracket together,

the connection between a member and the top end of each post comprising another bracket on the nonbody-engaging side of and joined to the member including an outwardly projecting ear, said ear having a nonslip surface on one side thereof, an upper pontion joined tothe post corresponding in size and shape to the projecting ear and including a nonslip surface resting on the nonslip surface of said ear, and screw means extending through and securing said upper portion joined at the post and the ear together. 3. In a cervical neck brace including body engaging structure adapted to be mounted over the shoulders of a person and head-engaging structure above the bodyengaging structure adapted to engage and support lower parts of the head of a person,

means interconnecting the body-engaging and headengaging (structures whereby the two structures may be mounted as a unit on a person with the structures relatively adjusted to hold the head in a desired position,

said means including at least one elongated adjustably extensible post with top and bottom ends,

a connection between the bottom end of the post and said body-engaging structure accommodating relative adjustable movement about a substantially horizontal axis and including a portion joined to the bodyengaging structure presenting an arcuately shaped surface that faces outwardly from the structure, a

Y bottom post portion joined 'to the post having an arcuate surface on one side thereof that ts within and corresponds in curvature to the arcuately shaped surface of said portion of said body-engaging structure and is movable relative |to the said body-engaging structure about said horizontal axis, fa clamping member fitting against the opposite side of said bottom post portion, and means for adjustably securingthe clamping member to said portion of said bodyengaging structure with the bottom post portion between the clamping member and portion of said body-,engaging structure, and

a connection between the head-engaging structure and the top end of the post comprising means joined to the member projecting outwardly therefrom, and means detachably securing the top end of the post to said means, accommodating adjustable movement of the top end of said post relative to said headengaging structure about an axis substantially paralleling said horizontal axis.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS t 2,000,344 5/ 35 McClellan 12S- 87.2 2,166,229 7/39 Anderson 12S- 87.2 2,736,314 2/56 Hale 12S-87.2 2,820,455 1/58 Hall 12S- 87.2

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

l ROBERT E. MORGAN, Examiner. 

3. IN A CERVICAL NECK BRACE INCLUDING BODY ENGAGING STRUCTURE ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED OVER THE SHOULDERS OF A PERSON AND HEAD-ENGAGING STRUCTURE ABOVE THE BODYENGAGING STRUCTURE ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AND SUPPORT LOWER PARTS OF THE HEAD OF A PERSON, MEANS INTERCONNECTING THE BODY-ENGAGING AND HEADENGAGING STRUCTURES WHEREBY THE TWO STRUCTURES MAY BE MOUNTED AS A UNIT ON A PERSON WITH THE STRUCTURES RELATIVELY ADJUSTED TO HOLD THE HEAD IN A DESIRED POSITION, SAID MEANS INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE ELONGATED ADJUSTABLY EXTENSIBLE POST WITH TOP AND BOTTOM ENDS, A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE BOTTOM EN D OF THE POST AND SAID BODY-ENGAGING STRUCTURE ACCOMMODATING RELATIVE ADJUSTABLE MOVEMENT ABOUT A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL AXIS AND INCLUDING A PORTION JOINED TO THE BODYENGAGING STRUCTURE PRESENTING AN ARCUATELY SHAPED SURFACE THAT FACES OUTWARDLY FROM THE STRUCTURE, A BOTTOM POST PORTION JOINED TO THE POST HAVING AN ARCUATE SURFACE ON ONE SIDE THEREOF THAT FITS WITHIN AND CORRESPONDS IN CURVATURE TO THE ARCUATELY SHAPED SURFACE OF SAID PORTION OF SAID BODY-ENGAGING STRUCTURE AND IS MOVABLE RELATIVE TO THE SAID BODY-ENGAGING STRUCTURE ABOUT SAID HORIZONTAL AXIS, A CLAMPING MEMBER FITTING AGAINST THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID BOTTOM POST PORTION, AND MEANS FOR ADJUSTABLY SECURING THE CLAMPING MEMBER TO SAID PORTION OF SAID BODYENGAGING STRUCTURE WITH THE BOTTOM POST PORTION BETWEEN THE CLAMPING MEMBER AND PORTION OF SAID BODY-ENGAGING STRUCTURE, AND A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE HEAD-ENGAGING STRUCTURE AND THE TOP END OF THE POST COMPRISING MEANS JOINED TO THE MEMBER PROJECTING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM, AND MEANS DETACHABLY SECURING THE TOP END OF THE POST TO SAID MEANS, ACCOMMODATING ADJUSTABLE MOVEMENT OF THE TOP END OF SAID POST RELATIVE TO SAID HEADENGAGING STRUCTURE ABOUT AN AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLELING SAID HORIZONTAL AXIS. 